Perplexity
by Jovec
Summary: There was something off about him, Lightning knew. Trying to guard her already broken heart she goes on a journey with him to other worlds and try to seek out the 11 shards of the crystal. Features characters from Final Fantasy VII as well. Lightis.
1. Prologue

**Note:** It's been a while (a year LOL), yes I know since I've published a story. This story is going to be a couple of chapters long but since it's going to be short, the chapters itself would be longer. Not as long as **Bloody Christmas**, but about 3,000 words long (about 5 pages in Word), approximately. Actions will be swift, I'm just descriptive. There are differences Lightning and Noctis do not share the same world, however, nor does the other FF characters from the other games that I may feature (Mainly FF VII). I am not familiar with Final Fantasy XIII characters' personality so bear with me. I'll try to have them as in character as possible. I am also working on Chapter 2 of this story. I also like tragedy so deal with it. I am a sadist.

* * *

Prologue

* * *

Noctis' boots hit the floor as he ran down the corridor of his home, the rumbling loud in his ears. The council was scattered and he was sent out to find them. Ahead of him, he saw that the wall had been blown up on the left, creating a gaping hole. His soft, innocent blue eyes were wide with silent horror. As he ran, the rain outside was loud in his ears, he could have sworn that was the only thing he could hear if it wasn't for Ignis Scientia voice through the device's loud speaker.

"Noctis! What are you doing?" His voice sounded concerned, as if he knew something was ahead.

Noctis didn't respond. Another voice, this time, Gladiolus Amicitia. "If you continue down that path, Noctis, you'll be encountering that giant serpent."

"That's okay. I'll handle it." he said. His voice was quiet and innocent even. The prince was then met with even more silence. He reached the end of the corridor and slowed to a stop. There was another gaping hole at the end that he could step through, but there was a huge gap between where he was standing and the bridge. He walked towards it cautiously, his young eyes taking in each detail of the horror. In the distance, there was a large flying monster—it reminded him of a dragon with wings. It roared, rearing its head in rage as it attacked everything that moved. The prince raced to one of the wall for balance, waiting for the shock of its tail hitting the wall to end. He heard many voices call his name through his transceiver. Lightning, who was coming down the same corridor, called out, "Noctis!"

The dark haired prince looked at her and smiled. He ran to her. "Lightning." he said, colliding into her and giving her a quick kiss on the top of her head. Her fingers curled around the fabric of his jacket and she buried her nose in his chest, taking in his scent and warmth. She looked up at him and a smile graced upon her glossy lips. Noctis gave her a quick kiss. He looked at her seriously and she looked at him seriously as well. "Go back with the others. Be safe. I can handle this." he said.

Lightning shook her head, "I'm going to do this with you." she said. Noctis' hand reached the back of her head and kissed her forehead. There was a soft smile on his face before he broke away from her. That soft smile melted into a hardened frown. They didn't move, staring into each other's eyes. Her bright blue eyes showed that she wasn't backing down. Noctis turned around and started to run to the end of the corridor and jumped when his foot reached the ledge, taking off to cross the gap.

As soon as the crimson outsoles of his shoes met the ground, the prince did a roll. He scrambled up with a grunt but he continued moving towards the gigantic airborne creature, running once more. The airships were shooting with everything they had. The serpentine creature roared in fury, lashing with just as much force. He was already halfway across the bridge, panting, when the creature's tail crashed the path in front of him, if he were to fall it would be an instant death. Noctis stopped abruptly, trying to regain his balance from falling to the ground below. He heard another grunt and turned around to see Lightning. She ran towards him. Sensing danger and foreseeing that her death would come if she followed, he ran to her. He had to stop her!

She reached out for him, calling out his name. He reached out for her, yelling for her to stop. However, the creature didn't stop thrashing as they ran to each other; it blindly flailing and its tail ended up hitting the bridge again, destroying the path between them and made another large gap.

"Lightning, leave!" he shouted.

"I'm not leaving!" she yelled.

"You'll die!" At this, Lightning's lips curled back and she glared at him, shaking her head.

"We'll die together!"

Noctis stared at her, his eyes wide. He was about to say something before the creature's tail hit the support that was holding Noctis' section up. There was a low rumble and both adults were trying to get balance from the shock. There were loud cracks and crunches—the sound of rocks splitting and falling, breaking formation. Noctis had to hold onto the railing to make sure that he won't fall off when his side of the bridge suddenly sunk. Lightning stared at him with wide eyes.

Noctis managed to give her one more look—his soft midnight eyes becoming even gentler—and met with her bright blue eyes, horror clearly etched into them. Noctis fell with the rubble and Lightning to moved faster her legs to get to him, shrieking. She fell onto her knees once she was at the ledge, her arm outstretched in an attempt to grab Noctis' hand although the distance was great between them. She looked down, desperately searching for Noctis, who disappeared below. Fearing the worst, Lightning carefully climbed down. Her movements were quick and shaky. She placed a foot on a beam that was jutting out, but once she did that, her foot slipped and she started sliding. She clawed at whatever that was protruding out of the structure, hoping that something would break her fall. She finally held onto a sturdy rock, the dirt and pebbles falling into and onto her hair and face before disappearing below. Lightning grunted as she continued going down, her arms becoming tired. When her boots touched the ground, however, it was as if her legs were moving on their own and she darted away.

Finally she had reached where she saw him fall. She treaded carefully. She kept searching in the rubble until she found Noctis' arm and releasing a breath that she didn't realize she was holding, she started to uncover him. She stopped short when she saw his face.

From the dark haired man's forehead, there was the crimson blood that ran down to his chin, and he was struggling to breathe. His eyes were closed and he was motionless, broken. The device Noctis had was crackling with Prompto's voice. "Noct! Yo, Noct, are you okay? Noct! Noctis!" Shakily, Lightning took her own transceiver and responded.

"He's hurt badly. He's unconscious. It appears that he broke a couple of bones from his fall." She was greeted with silence for a moment before Gladiolus spoke, "We'll be there quickly." he said. There was seriousness in his voice. As she waited, Lightning took the opportunity to remove whatever rubble was on him, grunting when it came to the heavier concrete. Once she was finished with her task, she kneeled next to him and ran a hand through his hair. She then took his head and placed it on her lap. He didn't respond, as expected.

She tried to mask it but her worry was trying to overcome her impassive facade. She continued to absently run a hand through his hair and noticed that the damage was worse than it looks, seeing the pool of blood that Noctis' back was soaked in. When his friends (and Cor) finally arrived, Cor carefully picked him up. "We'll have to retreat somewhere far and treat him there until this dies out. This is what happens when you young ones don't follow what I tell you." he said. Lightning was silent as well as the other boys.

* * *

The battle died out eventually and Lightning was pacing. They were in the ruined home of the Caelums. For some reason, Niflheim backed out, Regis couldn't find out why, though. The king was pacing back and forth for the news of his son. He couldn't think of his son leaving him. Lightning was just as fidgety. She didn't know what to think: slap Noctis for letting himself fall or to cry and hug him once he's awake. There were doctors and nurses in his room tending to him as everyone waited outside. Prompto was hopping a little in nervousness, trying to ease his anxiousness. Gladiolus was leaning against the wall, drumming his fingers against his arm as he had his arms folded. Ignis was pacing, like herself. His serious eyes showing his concern and nervousness.

"I'll go and get something to eat…or something." Prompto said, already going down the hall. Lightning watched him go. Cor seemed to be handling this coolly, his eyes calm and his face masking his concern if he had any. He looked at Lightning for a moment before returning his eyes to the marble floor. Lightning bit her lip as she glanced at the room, no sound or movement from what she could hear.

Ignis sighed, impatience getting to him. "What's taking them so long?" he asked, irritated at the uncertainty of his friend's survival. His answer was left hanging in the air and after a few moments Gladiolus sighed, "I'll be helping the refugees." he said quietly, dismissing himself. Lightning nodded. Cor stood up and followed Gladiolus, going to help. Ignis spared a glance to the pink-haired soldier and looked at the floor.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes and minutes turned into hours as they waited, sitting on the floor eventually. Finally, the door swung open and it revealed to be the doctor treating Noctis. Lightning stood up, "How is he?" she asked, her voice serious. The doctor seemed to contemplate his answer for a moment before taking a hesitant step forward. He was covered in blood from trying to save the dark-haired prince.

"The kingdom of Lucis…" he started, "…had suffered a great loss."

Lightning was devastated, "May…I see him?" she asked, trying to sound as calm, trying to not let the grief choke her. Ignis bit his lip. "I'll….I'll go tell the king a-and the others…" His voice was shaky and soft. His eyes were glassy from the unshed tears behind his glasses. He quickly got up to leave in a hurry. The doctors allowed Lightning to enter the room and she saw Noctis; he was clean from the blood that was on his body and face except the bruises were still there. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully after a fight. His corpse was still clad in the wear from the battle. It was ripped at the hems, some of the material was hanging by a thread. Even in death, he looked like he was asleep, how she usually found him whenever she came to his world. Lightning shook her head as she approached slowly, taking in his appearance. She ran a hand through his midnight hair when she reached him, much like she did when she found him. She then held his hand, "I promise," she said, taking in the fact that his skin was cold, "I'll find a way to bring you back." She would try to convince Etro to bring back Noctis.

The king looked at the press, sorrow etched upon his elderly features. His grieving eyes looked at the reporters. One reporter asked him, blurting out, "What of the prince?" he asked. Another one piped up, "What were the casualties of the attack?"

"What's the death toll?"

"You Highness—"

Regis spoke, his voice shaking, "People of Lucis…" he started. "The attack came swift and unexpected, and the casualties are high. There are many dead, both enemy and ally, and unfortunately…" He paused for a moment, looking away from the eager reporters for a bit before looking at them again. "Among the dead is Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum." With that, the king quickly left before any tears could escape his eyes, leaving the press in an uproar and the security tried to keep them at bay.


	2. Battle at Bodhum

**Note:** Forgot to mention last chapter, I don't own anything. Working on Chapter 2 now.

**Battle at Bodhum**

* * *

_He stared at the waters. It was unlike home, his world. He stayed in the shadows, however, not wanting to stick out too much or be noticed. He had never been one to talk a lot. He took in the calm breeze, his blue eyes scanning the area. He heard footsteps behind him and turned his head. He saw a woman with pink hair, "Hey!" she greeted happily, a warm smile on her face. He stared at her in response. She approached, "I'm Sarah Farron. What's your name?"_

_He didn't respond still. He was uneasy talking. He looked back at the waters. Sarah didn't stop smiling though. "What brought you here?"_

"_Business."_

"_Business? I see. Well, I hope you enjoy Bodhum. Maybe, during your stay we could meet up again and I could show you around and introduce you to nice people!" she said warmly. He gave a silent nod. _

_Maybe…_

* * *

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."

~Confucius

* * *

Lightning was in the battlefield, skillfully swinging her gun-blade to attack. There was a crackle from her earpiece. It's been years since Noctis' death and since then, she had been grieving for the young prince to return. Etro didn't respond to her prayers, nor did she hear anything from the goddess since then. She was now defending her homeland from being taken over by Tenebrae. She growled when something grazed her leg. It wasn't bad, but it was irritating. She turned around and hit him swiftly with the hilt, making his head jerk to the side from the impact. She then kicked him down and drove her weapon into his chest with relative ease. She panted and looked around, seeing that her other allies were just as tired as she was.

Prompto was hiding behind a fallen tree, one hand beneath the grip of the gun, crouching so he won't be hit by a stray bullet or sword. The blonde then straightened up from his crouching position and with the back of the hand on the bottom of the grip now, taking aim. Before his prey, the sniper, had the chance to respond, the marksman shot him between the eyes. Quickly, Prompto had left the scene in an attempt to remain unnoticed as he crossed the battlefield.

Lightning glanced to the other side to see Gladiolus taking relative ease towards this. She knew that the man had lots of stamina within him. He summoned his heavy great-sword as a defense against an incoming attack. When the opponent's sword had met Gladiolus', there was a shock that resounded throughout the blades. Gladiolus' sword dispersed into tiny shards before he used his right hook to crack his enemy's nose. The death was instant; the soldier falling at the large man's feet. Gladiolus's eyes caught Lightning's and gave her a thumbs up. He was okay. Lightning turned her focus ahead of her, to Ignis.

Ignis had his katana poised for the strike. When the unfortunate attacker raised his sword and charged, Ignis a long strive to drive his long blade into his guts. In one swift motion, Ignis moved his arms to the side, making him slice the soldier's guts in half. Ignis reached for his belt with pockets. He pulled out a set of throwing knives and threw it in Lightning's direction. Lightning didn't flinch—she knew that Ignis wouldn't hurt her—and the knife whipped past her ear. There was a groan, then a thump. She turned around to see a soldier on the floor, his face into the sand. There was blood pooling around his head. The pink haired soldier didn't need to be told where exactly Ignis hit, it was obvious. She turned to face Ignis again to see him engaged in another fight.

The pink haired woman heard a scream, coming from the direction of her home. Quickly, Lightning ran towards it. Sarah was attacked by a soldier dressed in black with very little armor on. He had no helmet and his hair was blonde. He held a broad sword and he swung at the younger sister. In a flash, Lightning intercepted the blade with her own, growling protectively. The soldier's sky blue eyes looked at her indifferently and he gave a hum of interest. Using his strength, he pushed Lightning back, creating space between them. Behind the man were other people dressed in black. They seemed to be an elite squadron for they had the same color: black. A woman raised her gloved fists, her mother-like brown eyes steeling into battle ones, her black hair moving in the breeze. There was a man dressed in black leather beside her. He had on a red bandana with a gun at his side, wearing black boots as well. He had black long black hair and crimson eyes. Lightning wondered if he was as skilled as Prompto—and wondered if it would be an epic battle between them. She looked past them and she felt her heart drop.

She saw Noctis with them and her heart screamed out to him for him to return. Return to her side, but something was off, something mocked her and fate was laughing at her. He wasn't the same; his soft blue eyes were hard and unforgiving. He didn't recognize her, it seems and he approached.

He looked at the blonde male, "…Cloud?" he addressed. The blonde one, identified as Cloud, looked at Noctis and then back at Lightning. "We won't go until we get what we need. Tifa, Vincent, you guys carry on the mission. Noct, stay with me." At the orders, Tifa and Vincent nodded, running away from the scene.

Sarah was going to attack Cloud, however, she was stopped when Noel held her shoulder, "Stop them," he said, nodding to Vincent and Tifa, "I'll stay with Lightning." She nodded and ran off after them.

Lightning was evenly matched with her enemies now—she had Noel while this Cloud had Noctis. It was going to be a long battle.

* * *

Sarah followed as best as she could. They ran into the forest and although the terrain was foreign to them, their ability to use the terrain to their advantage was sharp. The sharpshooter, Vincent, turned and shot a couple times at her. Sara moved away as best she could, looking away and having her arm up to protect her face in case he aimed for her face. When she put her arm down and looked ahead at them, he was easily catching up to his comrade. Tifa was steadily keeping her pace as Vincent jumped from tree branch to tree branch. As she ran, Sarah readied her bow and shot a couple of times at them. She missed, hitting right the branch Vincent was on before he jumped out of the way.

Tifa made a sharp turn and Vincent quickly followed. Sarah almost lost them. After more running, Sarah was slowing down, her legs shaky. When she felt that she couldn't go any farther, she slowed to a stop and panted heavily. "Man…these guys are…inhuman…" she said between breaths. She panted more and then ran off after them after regaining a little bit of her strength.

* * *

Stella Nox Fleuret trekked throughout the battlefield, a smile on her calm face. The princess of Tenebrae was satisfied with the carnage that was going on. She approached a slab that was left untouched and her smile widened into a victorious one. She bent over and kneeled down in front of it. Then she buried her hands in the sand. She repeated running her hand through the sand a couple of times until she found what she wanted. She pulled out a small crystal; the soft, cyan glow softly touching her face and hand. Her eyes widened in happiness, "Finally, I have a shard that's been hidden for so long. I can finally get my hands on the Lucian Crystal, at full power!"

A couple of gunshots were fired. Hurriedly, she pocketed the crystal shard and fished for the transceiver. She turned around sharply and spoke through the transceiver once she had it in her hands, "We have what we wanted."

Tifa and Vincent turned around abruptly, they've distracted Sarah enough. Sarah barely recognized them when they were just a blur at her sides. She groaned, "Not fair!" she called out, huffing. However, she continued to give chase.

Cloud Strife didn't seem like he was tired, thanks to Noctis' useful ability to have swords as a protective force field. Noel and Lightning were exhausted, Lightning causing magic in the background as Noel delivered heavy blows. Sometimes, Lightning would come in and help him with attacking. Noctis would intercept her.

Lightning once again charged at Cloud, but Noctis got in her way and engaged her into a deadlock with their blades. Lightning's blue eyes flashed in rage as she looked at him. "Why?" she shouted, "Why, why them? Answer me!" Noctis didn't respond to her pleading voice, trying to overcome her. Lightning stared into his red eyes, "Don't you remember anything, Noc—"

"Noctis." Cloud said, his voice overpowering Lightning's. Noctis gave a humorless and uninterested hum and pushed away from Lightning, back to the blonde's side. Prompto, Gladiolus and Ignis reached Lightning's side, finally, panting and stopping when they were behind her. They were shocked at the sight of their supposedly dead prince. "N-Noctis!" they shouted simultaneously.

Vincent and Tifa reached Cloud and Noctis' side. Vincent, the first one to react, rose his pistol and pointed it at Lightning, while Prompto, just as sharp as a shooter, aimed his pistol at Cloud. There was a long, heavy silence. Cloud stared at Lightning for a while before looking down, to the side a little and let a smirk glide across his face, a soft "ha" escaping his lips.

Just all of a sudden, Cloud dropped his weapon. It met the sand with a thud and accompanied with a small puff of sand that flew into the air; Cloud Strife was surrendering. He knelt onto the floor silently and slowly, not taking his eyes off of his enemies. His example resounded throughout the small squad as they each lowered themselves. Vincent Valentine, thoroughly annoyed that he'll surrender to his enemies, released a very irritated huff and threw his pistol to the side angrily. Then he kneeled as well. Cloud looked at Lightning, "Take us. We're outnumbered. We know our limits."

"Yet you are skilled. You're not winded at all, none of you."

"We may not be breathless but we'd end up as prisoners anyway since more of your friends would join. You guys are just as equally skilled." He motioned to the upcoming reinforcements, which was Vanille, Hope and Fang.

Lightning gave a huff, expressing her distrust for the sudden surrender. Her eyes darted to her lover—she doubted that he remembered their kisses, laughter and happiness together—for a second before looking at Cloud once more. "If you try anything, I will wipe out your entire squad without a second thought." Her only response was a chortle from the leader. "Like I'm stupid enough to let them do that?" he asked as Sarah approached, completely out of breath.

"Never am I running that hard again!" she said, exasperated and panting hard. She fell onto the sand, exhausted. Vincent, Noctis and Tifa just looked at her with mild amusement and curiosity. Lightning looked at her sister for a moment before looking at the black-clad squadron, "Very well," she said, "however, you are to come with us to Lucis."

Noctis' eyes looked at her, then at Cloud, looking at him as if he was a child silently asking for answers. Cloud shrugged, "Alright." he said. "Take us wherever."

In the distance, a girl with short black hair and a black bandana walked up to Stella. She had a giant 4-point shuriken in which she named Conformer. She growled, folding her arms across her jacket, frustrated. "What are they doing? They can easily whoop them!" she said, her anger expressing in her voice. Stella glanced at the young ninja. "Don't worry about them, I'm more concerned about this." She looked down at the crystal shard in her hand, she could feel the power radiating from it. She turned around and started to leave. Yuffie didn't like the idea of Cloud and the others surrendering, her squad was the best there was in Tenebrae. "I'll come back for you guys. I swear I will!" She turned around, knowing that Stella won't like it if she interfered now and walked after the blonde princess with silent determination and anger.

* * *

By the time they reached the castle, the tension was thick between the two groups. Noctis' former friends continued looking at the black haired prince in thought and to an extent, confusion. The doors opened for them to enter, and the group with its prisoners stepped inside. Lightning looked at Noctis for a moment before speaking, "Is there a master plan behind the attack at Bodhum?" she asked. Cloud hummed, "I don't think I'm allowed to give that information freely."

"I can torture you for the answer."

"That's a little harsh, Miss…" Cloud's blue eyes looked at Lightning's for a moment before the blonde folded his arms, contemplating. "There really was no real motivation, just wanting to conquer." Lightning thought about the answer, "I see…" she said thoughtfully. "How did you find the prince of Lucis?"

"He was lost." Cloud answered, "He walked into Tenebrae grounds and we thought he was there to invade, so we attacked him at first but we realized that he didn't know much. Hell, he didn't even know his name. He was like a puppy, still is actually." Noctis blushed, glaring at Cloud. Tifa giggled and ruffled Noctis' hair. Processing this information, Lightning felt her heart break at the realization that Noctis won't remember her. Did Etro really answered her prayer? Why was she paying the price of losing Noctis' love? She was in a whirlpool of emotions.

The rest of the trip to the prisons was quiet and the tension was still there despite the small talk. Approaching a cell, Lightning placed her finger on a key pad and the glass wall slid into the floor with a soft _shhh_. The pink-haired woman looked at her prisoners, "I'll be talking to the king about this." she said. "Throw your weapons away from you, to the side." Seeing reluctance, Lightning barked, "Do it now!"

Cloud placed his sword on the ground then kicked it away from him. Vincent handed his gun to Prompto, a slight act of being too lazy to simply drop it. "Get in!" Lightning spoke sharply. Each of them started to get in. Lightning watched each one get in, but when it came to Noctis, she held his wrist. He looked at her, "You're coming with me." she said sternly. Noctis glared at her, and then he looked at his black-clad friends. Cloud looked at Lightning for a moment, then at the dark haired prince. He nodded in approval after a long while. Lightning had to show the spiky haired prince to the king somehow. The pink haired woman then dialed a set of numbers on the key-pad and the glass wall came back up, locking the prisoners in the cell. She grabbed Noctis' arm and started to drag him away. He looked at her, rather curious. She avoided his questioning look.

Their footsteps sounded in the quiet halls and all Lightning could hear was her heart thumping loudly against her chest. She was using all of her willpower not to look at Noctis, not to relive that pain, not to look at him in despair. She was hurt when she saw the man she loved and worked with fighting for a country that was a threat to his own! She bit her plump, bottom lip. She couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that something happened to him that caused him to be this way. She was in turmoil.

"Are you okay?" he asked innocently, his curiosity getting the best of him. She scoffed, glaring at the ground as she dragged him forcefully. "I'm fine." she said.

"Oh. Okay. Well, you don't need to hold my arm though. I can follow."

"How will I be sure that you won't run away?"

"It's true that you can't be sure since I am your enemy, however, I don't think that running away is the best option for me right now, don't you think so?" He tilted his head slightly as he asked the last part. Lightning glanced back at him. She rolled her eyes when she looked ahead of her, "I think running away at any time is a bad choice when I'm present." she said curtly.

Noctis didn't bother responding to that, choosing silence instead. She approached a set of doors and stopped. She dropped his arm and glared at him, "Don't you think about running away." she said threateningly. Noctis raised his hands as if he surrendered and smiled, "That's is the last thing on my list right now." he answered coolly. The woman gave a huff and opened the doors. It was blinding a little bit once the doors were open because of the windows letting in so much sun. Regis was facing away from them but Lightning knew that his face was worn since his son's death. Regis had his hands on his lower back, letting go a sigh.

Lightning approached, "Regis?" she spoke, addressing him informally. The king's fingers touched the armchair of the throne that was beside him, "This throne was supposed to be for my son whenever he married…" he started. "…Losing him is like losing my wife all over again. Oh, how am I going to overcome this loss?" Lightning felt bad for the elder man, grief was gripping him tightly.

"Regis." she spoke again, "I have something to return to you."

"Return…?" Regis inquired, turning around. His eyes were rimmed with red from recent tears, Lightning knew. She could see how tired the king was from his features and his eyes. She nodded numbly, "It might not be the same but…"

"But what, Lightning?"

"I am here to return your son to you." Lightning said. Regis looked at her strangely for a moment before looking past her, finally realizing that there was someone else in the room. He took a moment to stare at the person behind her before he recognized him. "Noctis!" the man said, approaching him quickly. Noctis didn't know what to make of the situation, he didn't know the man at all. Regis hugged Noctis close, and the young man could feel the familiar warmth that was so distant in his memory.

Where had he felt this warmth before?

He felt the other man started to shake and he looked up to see Regis crying. There was an uncertain look on Noctis' face when he saw that, "Uh…" That was all the prince managed to let out, his eyes a little wide and his eyebrows drawn together as if he didn't know what to do. He couldn't say anything. Regis' hand was at the back of Noctis' neck and he pulled his son into another embrace, the younger man's face on his shoulder. "Oh, Noctis, I'm so happy you're alive…"

Noctis knew that he couldn't do much at this point so he hugged the man back, slowly and hesitantly. His mind was reeling with questions and confusion. He stole a glance at Lightning, his eyes pleading. Lightning cleared her throat, folding her arms. Regis let go of his son and looked at her as he wiped his tears. "Where did you find him?" he asked.

"Bodhum, fighting against us."

"Against you? Why?"

"He's with Tenebrae now." Regis was taken aback, looking at his son with alarm. "Tenebrae? Noctis is this true?" Noctis looked at him for a moment, hesitant to answer but did ultimately nod. Regis looked at him, then Lightning, then back at his son. "Why?" Noctis seemed to ponder it, trying to choose his words carefully so he won't offend the king.

"They saved me." he said simply. Regis sighed, "If only we knew where you were, Noctis. Why didn't you return home?"

"My home is Tenebrae." Noctis answered. The king's eyes narrowed at the answered. "Tenebrae? Tenebrae is not your home; your home is here, Noctis. Your home is Lucis."

Noctis stepped away from him, shaking his head. "My home is Tenebrae." he said, firm with his answer. "I'm from Tenebrae. I fight for Tenebrae."


	3. Uncertainty

**Note:** I know I said that I'd post this Friday and now it's a Saturday so kill me now. Anyway, this may be my last chapter for now until I move. I will update on my twitter, Facebook and Instagram (yeah...I need to work on that too...) and keep anyone following me/friends with me updated on Perplexity. I also have a Tumblr to keep anyone update as well. Now, with that note out of the way: Scene with Lightining and Noctis near the end. I was tired and I couldn't think of anything else. Nuff said. Surprisingly, the chapters aren't as long as I thought. They're at a good length. The story might be longer than I anticipated.

**Uncertainty**

* * *

"_Do you like it?" Sarah asked, walking into the room and then turning around. Noctis looked at her and nodded. He was too reserved, or nervous, to talk. He looked at the floor, struggling to find words to start a conversation. Sarah hummed, "Oh, I know someone who can show you around more. Wait here!"_

"_Okay." Noctis said. Sarah then disappeared out of sight when she sort-of jogged to her destination. Noctis took this time to look around where he was at, glancing at the rather plain home. It wasn't elaborate like how he was used to back at his castle, but homey, comfortable even. He heard Sarah's footfalls accompanied with another person's, his head snapping to the direction of the sound. He saw another pink-haired girl and Sarah was dragging her to him. "This is my sister, Lightning!" she said, introducing the other girl. _

_Lightning looked at him critically, her frown on her face, "Nice to meet you," she said plainly. Noctis' mind drew a blank for a second, unsure on how to respond to her for a second before he nodded, "Nice to meet you too," he said kindly. Sarah clapped, leaning forward and then straightening out. It was something she did when she was happy or excited. "I hope you guys could be great friends!" Lightning huffed, but gave a small smile anyway. Noctis rubbed his arm and was too shy to think of something to talk about._

* * *

_"The mistake is thinking that there can be an antidote to the uncertainty."_

~David Levithan

* * *

The king stepped forward, "Noctis—"

Noctis just shook his head and growled, turning around. He was heading for the door. Lightning got in his way, "I told you not to run." she said. Noctis snarled at her in anger, "You are really difficult, you know that?" Nonetheless, he approached a window at the end of the wall. He ran a hand through his hair angrily. Lightning looked at him as he walked away, her guard dropping a little bit. She looked at Regis who was also looking at his son. "What happened to you?" he asked.

Noctis' hands at his side turned into fists, "Nothing you should know." he said coldly. There was a long, heavy silence that followed, and Lightning stared at him as he was looking out the window. His face was set in a cold, hard expression. His eyes glinted with something that she couldn't tell—confusion, maybe? Lightning saw that there was also a glint of sadness as well. She couldn't help the questions that were spinning around in her head: What happened to him? and What was he thinking? She was just about to open her mouth to softly speak to him, however, the king beat her to it. "Are you hungry? We can have some late dinner."

He realized that he won't get through Noctis, especially since he's stubborn. Noctis said nothing for a while. "I'll eat if you let my friends eat with me." he said.

"Noctis—"

"They're my friends and it's not right that they're kept prisoners here and I'm with all of this luxury. I want them to eat with me too!" Noctis' eyes showed his determination, adamant with his decision. Lightning sighed, running a hand through her hair, "I can release them for the late night dinner. But that's it."

"Then lock me up with them."

"Noctis—"

"Then don't count me in for the dinner."

Lightning let a growl escape her lips, frustrated with how stubborn he was. The irritation was showing on her face and Noctis knew that he was going to win. There was a long silence before she answered, "Fine! Fine, they can roam! Have it your way!" Noctis smiled at his victory. Regis looked over at the prince and opened his mouth to talk once more.

"There are things I need to discuss to you two as well. Your group"—Regis looked at Noctis—"could help us with the task that I'm going to bestow upon you two." Regis then had authority in his voice when he spoke, approaching the prince. "Noctis, you are to be my successor to the throne and you are to fight for Lucis against the war with the other nations. We are the only kingdom to have crystal powers and advance at technology at this rate. Our kingdom cannot run without you. In case you forgot and perhaps you have forgotten, I will have Lightning accompany you as a bodyguard and have you attend to my council meetings. You channel your powers through the crystal that is in this kingdom." Once close enough, the king placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Ignis is your advisor—he is to provide his opinion on your orders. Gladiolus and Prompto were your friends, still are. Before you disappeared we were under attack by the nation of Neflheim and there were reports of Stella Fleuret being there. Are your loyalties truly to Stella?"

Noctis' eyes looked at Regis dangerously but he didn't voice his denial about Stella, nor did he want to answer the king's perplexing question. He kept silent. He looked at Lightning during his silence and expected her to say something; he was surprised when she said nothing and looked away. He was confused on his feelings and this sudden information. Cloud told him that Stella was in Tenebrae when the invasion happened and that she had nothing to do with it. He looked out of the window again and pondered over his thoughts. "…May I visit my team first?" he asked. Regis looked at Noctis for a moment before responding.

"Why, of course," the old king said. Noctis gave him his thanks and started to leave. He remembered the path to where his friends were being held. Approaching the door to the cell, he saw his friends stirring within on the other side of the glass door. Tifa got up from where she was sitting on the floor as she looked up. She smiled at Noctis in a motherly fashion and the prince returned the smile just as kindly. He saw Cloud looking at him, expecting the dark-haired man to say something. Vincent didn't move from where he was standing, leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest. He still kept his aloof and nonchalant air around him even if he was captured by the enemy. Noctis learned to get used to it after a while. Cloud took a step forward. "Well?" he asked.

"Disappointing. Nothing much really happened. I persuaded them to invite you guys to dinner and have you roam around." Noctis said, really unsure how to explain the encounter with the king. Cloud hummed, thinking about the answer carefully. Noctis' eyes looked at the ground as he was in his own thoughts. The air was thick until Tifa broke it with a soft voice, "What did…they tell you? You know…when you got there."

Noctis' eyes shot up from the floor to her pale face, looking at her dark eyes. He wanted to hug Tifa and mumble into her shoulder and spill everything Regis said about Stella, voice his confusion too but it should be kept to himself and he thought that it would cause more problems if he ever said anything. Noctis shook his head after a bit of thought and smiled at the black-haired woman. "Nothing, they just tried convincing me that I was the prince of this kingdom. That's all." Tifa smiled at him and approached the transparent barrier between them, pressing her hand against the cold surface. "I hope that you'll be okay, honestly. I don't know what worries me more: you getting into battles or you being alone."

"I'm not that much of a child! You don't need to worry about me as much, Tifa. I'll be fine!" Noctis said, laughing. Tifa let a small chuckle escape her lips, "I know, but I can't help but worry. It's what I do."

Cloud smiled at the two gently. "We're relatively calm about this," he stated.

Tifa shrugged, "There's no point in worrying over something that is already resolved. We'll be out of here in no time, right Noct?" Noctis looked at her and smiled. He looked at Cloud, "Yeah, you'll be out in no time. I promise." The young man received a smile from the older one. There was a moment of peaceful silence between the group before Noctis groaned, "What about Yuffie? We kinda left her behind." Cloud chuckled and shook his head.

"She'll be okay. She's always fine."

"That's what you think," Vincent said from the back of the room, watching them with his red eyes.

* * *

Stella sat at her desk, her eyes in thought. She looked at the papers that was strewn all over and hummed. She looked at the headline of the report that was in big, bold letters, _Idola Eldercapt: The Man Behind the Invasion of Lucis? _

Stella looked at the paper lazily, her hand beneath her chin and her eyes expressing her boredom. She didn't think much of it at first but when she saw the headlines, she grew a little more interested. The Niflheim public didn't like the princess of Tenebrae because of past relations so she knew that they would do anything to tarnish her reputation. She was still looking through the papers when Yuffie came into the room a little noisily. Since it was raining outside the building, the black-haired girl was soaking wet and not too happy. Her cheeks were flushed and she was panting to get to shelter. Her shoes squeaked and from her silent anger she slammed the door shut. The girl placed her hands on her wet hips impatiently, "Are you going to tell me when I can free my friends or not? I can't sit around here! I just want them safe; Chocobo-head, Tifa and Vampcent."

"Patience, Yuffie." Stella said calmly, her eyes still on the paper. "It's not just your friends that's captured, mine too."

"What makes you think that Noctis has any connection to that kingdom anyway?" Yuffie asked, not too happy about Stella's reaction. She started questioning why Stella wasn't angry. Stella calmly looked up from her paper and smiled gently, putting the paper on her desk as she did so. "Why, he's the prince of Lucis. With that being said, his father won't have him locked up and he'll be free to roam. When he attends the council meetings, I can simply tell him to release Cloud and the others."

"What if he denies?" Yuffie asked.

Stella hummed, "We'll see when we get there, no? I'm sure that your friends will be okay especially since Noctis is prince. He'll do anything to keep them safe. He's an honest guy." Yuffie hummed, thinking about what Stella said and sighed. She walked a couple of steps, her boots squeaking as she did so.

"Yeah, I guess you're right…" she said. Her chocolate eyes reflected her lingering worry for a moment before she looked at Stella and nodded. "You're right. I shouldn't worry because Noctis is an honest guy. It's just that he's so new and all it's kinda hard to trust him at first, you know?" Stella kindly smiled and nodded, understanding. She looked at another document and reached out for it. She dragged it across the desk to have it in front of her and looked at the page.

"As for the gateway to your world, I'm also finding out how to reopen it. There's very little progress going on." Stella's eyes showed her disappointment as she read the report, "I'm afraid it's going to have to be a little longer until you go home…I'm sorry." She looked at Yuffie and the girl sighed. The Wutai princess missed her homeland and her father. She missed Cait Sith, Reeve, and regrettably Cid. Numbly, Yuffie nodded, "We…we can deal with that." she said. Stella gave a small huff. She got up, "How about something warm to drink and some warm clothes? You're soak and you must be cold." Yuffie gave a sheepish smile and nodded. Soon, the two girls were chatting and smiling.

* * *

It was evening and the stars were already out. Noctis placed his hand on the railing of the balcony. Lately he found himself deep in thought and staring at the stars. It gave him some kind of calmness around him whenever he looked up at the stars. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, a small smile gracing upon his elegant features.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you do that," a voice from behind said, footsteps approaching the prince from behind. Noctis frowned and half-turned, opening his eyes quickly. He gave a look of "oh" and turned his back to her fully once more. Lightning walked beside him and placed her hands on the railing as she looked at the floor and he looked up at the sky. "It's okay to have doubts." she said softly. She looked at him and he didn't look at her. He focused on the sky and tried resisting talking to her. She took in another breath before talking once more, trying to attempt to start a conversation between them.

"So how's the country of Tenebrae?" she asked. Noctis stiffened and then turned to leave, "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be here," he said, his voice just as stiff. Lightning turned quickly enough to grab his wrist to prevent him from leaving. "No," she blurted, scolding herself as soon as she said it. She knew she couldn't back away from it now. Noctis looked at her questioningly, "Why? I'm your enemy. Enemies hate each other; fight. Why don't you want me to go?" His voice laced with impatience and she bit the bottom of her lip, thinking about her answer before replying.

"I…I don't know. I don't want you to go though. I want to talk to you, I want to know you…" She desperately tried to not let the memories of the past get to her and the struggle to find words were becoming more and more obvious, "I-I…" She felt Noctis pry her hands off of his wrist and she looked up at him. He held her hand in his, looking at the smaller hand nestled into the larger one. He said nothing for a moment or two and during those moments, Lightning let the warmth of his hand sink into her skin. Her hand was upturned so that her palm showed; he was holding her hand in his palm delicately.

"I wonder," he started, using his other hand and running his index finger along her palm as if he was experimenting with her skin, "how do you keep your hands soft and not calloused?" Lightning had to remind herself that she was letting her guard down too much before she took her hand away. She opened her mouth slightly for a moment with no sound coming out of her mouth, but she did eventually say something. "I wear gloves." she said simply. He nodded, giving a small "ah" as he registered the information. He then let go of her hand.

"Well then, that's nice to know. Now, what was I doing? Oh, yeah, leaving." He started to turn but stopped when he heard Lightning scoff.

"You were _distracted_?" Lightning said, shocked. Noctis looked at her, a look of "duh" on his face. Lightning gave a chuckle, not out of laughter but of annoyance. "I thought you were starting a conversation!"

"What?" Now, Noctis looked confused. "Why did you think that?"

"You seemed so…so…augh!"

"I was about to leave and then you grabbed my wrist. I still wanna leave, so I'll just—"

"Sto—"

He started to leave again but Lightning walked in front of him angrily and unfortunately bumped into him. Out of reflex, Noctis wrapped his arms around her so the woman won't fall and she placed her hands on his chest. Lightning didn't think as he embraced her and he looked down at her.

"Nice chest." She wasn't thinking and Noctis internally screamed.

Instinctively, Noctis let go of her and blushed, turning away from her and coughing into his hand. Lightning rubbed her arm and bit the bottom of her lip out of embarrassment, her pale face becoming pink. Noctis turned around just when she decided to talk. Both ended up talking at the same time.

"Look, I'm—" They stopped and looked at each other's eyes. Both of them were flustered and blushing still. Noctis shook his head, rubbing the back of his head shyly as he looked at the marble ground. "Y-you go first." he said and Lightning shook her head, looking at the ground as well, "No," she said. "You go first."

He looked at her, his midnight blue eyes reflecting how flustered he was, "I'm sorry," he said. Lightning looked at him and shook her head. "I was in your way. I'm also sorry I snapped."

"Um…"

"Forget about that entire scene?"

"Yeah, that's best." He gave a sheepish smile, "I mean, it's kinda awkward and all…" Lightning laughed, agreeing with the prince. There was a small silence that was in the sky and Noctis looked at the stars. Lightning looked up as well, thinking.

"I feel so comfortable when I look at the stars," Noctis started. "I don't know why…"

Lightning swallowed before responding, "Maybe…it has something to do with your past?" she suggested. Noctis thought about it and nodded, "Yeah, maybe but I'm not sure…I feel as if I'm forgetting something important…"

Lightning nodded and looked down at her hands which were folded in front of her. She pondered her question for a moment before looking up at the sky again. Then she looked at Noctis. "Do…you think that you'll ever remember your past?"

Noctis didn't respond for a bit as he processed the question and hummed thoughtfully, "I don't think so," he said. "there's so many gaps. I just remember being rescued. Everything is a blur to me." Lightning nodded mutely, numbly.

"But, don't you think that trying to be with the people like your father could answer those unanswered questions you might have?"

"Yeah, I know that," Noctis said, "but I have loyal friends and I can start new from whatever previous life I had before my memories were gone."

"So you're willing to abandon everyone and everything you knew before?"

At that question, Noctis bit his bottom lip and looked a little unsure about the answer. Lightning sighed at his silence, seeing that he didn't have an answer. "I think you're unsure about it." she said after quite a while. "You're obviously torn. Do you just follow orders or do you follow your heart and what you think is right?"

She looked at him, the stars' light shining upon his pale face and the moonlight illuminated everything like a dream. She wanted to keep looking at him but she forced herself to tear her eyes away from the sight of the man. She looked as if she was going to say something else before she left, leaving Noctis to his own thoughts and conclusions. Noctis started to doubt everything he encountered, ever since he met Lightning and his supposed father, Regis. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. He had so many questions he would much rather not have and would like to have that simple, cozy life he had in Tenebrae for years. He never asked for anything as complex as this, and Hell, even his own feelings were chaotic. He didn't know what he was truly feeling. He sighed in complete and utter mystification.


End file.
